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Lost Son of Havanna, The

Year:

Rating:

Length:

2009

NR

102 mins.

S.I.M Rating:8.06out of 10 (1 Votes)

Cast: Carlton Fisk, Peter Gammons and George McGovern

Movie Description

Baseball in Cuba, due to the secretive nature of the government, has remained an enigma for over half a century. However, the story of Luis Tiant, perhaps the best-known Cuban major-leaguer, has been brilliantly made into a documentary, The Lost Son of Havana, which at least pulls back the curtain somewhat on Cuba's baseball legacy.

The film, written and directed by Jonathan Hock, follows Tiant's return to his native island after 46 years of exile. Expectations of a joyful homecoming soon turn sour as Tiant is confronted by angry neighbors of his parents, who accuse him of neglecting his heritage. Tiant tries to explain his attempts to provide for his family were stymied by the Cuban government fall on largely deaf ears however.

On a more positive note, the film reveals that Tiant's parents were remarkably allowed to travel to the U.S. in 1975 by Fidel Castro in order to watch their son pitch in the World Series for the Red Sox. Through interviews with former teammates and journalists, as well as newsreel footage, Lost Son conveys a touching mixture of the triumph and heartache Tiant experienced.